After a 3-3 start in the season-opening Triton Invitational, No. 7 UC San Diego men’s water polo (12-5, 0-0 Big West) has found its rhythm, losing only two of its 11 games this month. On Wednesday, Sept. 24, No. 12 Loyola Marymount (4-6, 0-0 WCC) became the latest victim of this Triton hot streak as UCSD dismantled the Lions in a 14-9 victory.
Last weekend’s MPSF Invitational saw the Tritons’ finest results yet during this run, as UCSD logged three ranked wins, including a victory against LMU, in four games. The performance catapulted UCSD from 13th to seventh in the CWPA poll, just in time for the Battle of the Kings matchup. The annual rivalry game sold out once again with thousands of Tritons in attendance.
LMU scored the first two goals of the game on a power play and penalty. However, its offense quickly ran dry; the Lions were held scoreless for 10 minutes in a lull that would extend far into the second quarter. Meanwhile, the Tritons went on a 6-0 run, capped off by a fireball to the top right corner from sophomore attacker Christian Hammonds. Graduate attacker Felipe Ferreira played an integral role, contributing to four goals during this stretch.
“A lot of it is calming down, breathing, and being patient on offense because the crowd is really exciting, and there’s a lot of emotions and nerves,” head coach Matt Ustaszewski said to The UCSD Guardian in a postgame interview. “We made blocks, shared the ball, didn’t have any turnovers, and that was the key for our momentum swing.”
However, the run would end in frustrating fashion, as the Lions converted on back-to-back possessions to end their 10-minute drought. The calls that preceded both goals led to an argument between Ustaszewski and the officials; Ustaszewski received a yellow card.
Two more goals from the Tritons solidified their 8-4 halftime lead. Excluding penalties and power plays, UCSD only allowed LMU a single goal during the entire first half.
The third quarter saw the Tritons extend their lead by one goal. Graduate attacker Alika Naone opened the second half scoring for LMU, but UCSD senior utility player Ante Buzov put two in the back of the net as the Tritons took a five-goal lead entering the final period.
Senior utility player Eamon Hennessey started the fourth quarter off with a bang, scoring two from close range in the opening minutes. The pair brought Hennessey’s season total to a team-leading 31 goals.
“Some of those pockets opened up for him and he definitely doesn’t hesitate,” Ustaszewski said. “That ball comes off of his hand, it fires, and usually the defenders don’t even know what’s behind them.”
Momentum began shifting in the Lions’ direction late in the fourth quarter with two goals from the right side on back-to-back possessions. Hammonds would answer with a score of his own — his fifth goal contribution of the night — and a last-gasp goal for the Lions saw the game end with a 5-goal Triton victory.
Wednesday’s victory was the Tritons’ most comprehensive win this season against a top-15 opponent. The Tritons will look to continue their upward momentum as postseason play inches closer.
“All of this preseason is to prepare us for November and December,” Ustaszewski said. “It’s nice to be moved up in the rankings, but all we can do is face each opponent that comes to us. We’ve got some more challenges this weekend.”
The Tritons will return to battle on Saturday, Sept. 27, with a pair of games against Biola and Cal Baptist in Riverside.
